Members of the US trade group said they see limited impact from Taiwan-China tensions

A Taiwanese coast guard ship sailed past China’s coast on Nangan Island in Taiwan’s Matsu Islands. August 16, 2022.

TAIPEI, Aug. 19, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Most members surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan said they were not affected by recent Chinese military exercises around the island, but raised concerns, the group said Friday.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has been holding war games and exercises since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei this month.

AmCham Taiwan had 126 of its 529 members respond to the survey, which was conducted from August 8-17. Seventy-seven percent said their business was not significantly affected, while 17% said they experienced disruptions, including increased shipping or insurance costs or supply chain delays.

About half of the 17 percent of outages stemmed from “policy changes or expressions of concern from offshore headquarters,” it added in a statement.

Looking ahead, 46 percent of surveyed companies expect increased military activity this year and next, while the rest are unsure or don’t expect it to be affected, the group said.

When asked about a specific “spectrum of threats,” companies listed the main concerns as general tensions, including disinformation campaigns, restrictions or “barriers on Taiwan’s shores, and sanctions, travel bans, boycotts and embargoes on Taiwanese products and people.”

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all concerned and 5 being extremely concerned, respondents’ average level of concern about a severe crackdown on Taiwan in the next 24 months was 2.8, the group said.

Amcham’s Taiwan president, Andrew Wailegala, has been calling for an ambitious agenda to accelerate economic cooperation with Taiwan through the organization’s 21st Century Trade Initiative – the framework for the new Taiwan-US trade talks – and eventually a bilateral trade agreement.

“Developments in recent weeks underscore the importance of supporting Taiwan’s resilience through stronger economic cooperation and integration, and that Taiwan’s economic relationship with the United States is a security issue,” he added.

Reporting by Ben Blanchard. Editing by Jerry Doyle

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